Rail-joint.



W. M. PEGRAM.

. RAILJOINT.

I APPLICATION men APR.3,1919.

Patented Nov 18, 1919 mam Q M mNTOR I) NITED Si sea-TENT oneion.

"WALTER- M.

FEiI-iltrilii. 0F LETEWBURGH. 1? EW YGRK.

1,321,844, Srecificetion of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed April 3. 1919. Serial No. 22 7,196.

4 State of New York, have invented a n w and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail joints which are adapted to unite the rails of a railroad; and the object of my invention to provide a rail joint which will hold ahutting rail ends relatively in surface and alinement without the. use of bolts.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawing, in whieh-- Figure l is a plan view of the device; Fig. 2 is a vertical end section; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The letter A denotes abutting; rail ends; the letter B denotes angle bars engaging said rail ends A on each side thereof; and the letter C denotesa base plate provided with. confronting" abutmenls wl'ii'ch abutinents have horizontally curved longitudi nally of said base plate (J. the seats having conical surfaces for seating similarly curved and surfaced toes of said angle liars B. in the practical application of this rail joint. two bolts are used to assemble the angle bars and rail ends and to hold the rail ends against longitudinal separation: but these bolts do not maintain lateral pressure oi the angle bars against the rail ends this feature is the function of my invention, as related hereafter. and the bolts are omitted in the drawings in order to make this feature clear. The base plate is spiked to a tie in conjunction with the angle bars or the base plate, if extended longitudinally, may be spiked to a pair of adjoining ties in eonjunction with the rails andth ee details too are omitted in drawings as they conform to conventional track practice and are likewise not essential to the specific functioning of my invention.

The rail ends are supported wholly by the heads as the bases remain out of contact with the hast plate and the pressure of a wheel load on the heads of the rail ends, reacting from the base plate through the angle bars, presses the angle bars laterally against the rail ends and this pressure is sustained by the wedge-like, relation between the toes'of.

the angle bars and the seats of the abutments as disposed by the conical elements thereof and described hereafter.

The fishing spaces of the rail ends permit, of gradual engagement of the angle bars therein, that the angle bars may be foroed inward toward therail Webs and so it will be observed that the coiled surfaces, of the toes of the angle bars and of the seats of the ahutmcnts, are concentric in the initial p0- silion thereof and. that because of the conical surfaces opposed in this initial position, similar radii thereof lie in the same horizontal planes.

.t. will he seen that as the toes of the angle bars forced down between the seats of the almtn'icnts. the coned surfaces thereof are no longer conecntric tlierehetween and similar radii thereof do not all now lie in the same horizontal planes.

The. effect of this derangement of concentric conical surfa es from the initial 'position. is to gmduull dimini h. at the central sect its thereof. the areas of the surfaces in Contact between the toes ot' the angle bars and the seats of the ahutments. and to con cenlrute the sustaining grips toward the end sect ois tl'iereot'.

ll virtue of the diminishing areas of the surfaces on contact between the loos of the angle bars and the seats of the abutmonls. whereby a' slip is always innninent there between. the slightest rcadjustment of angle bars and rail ends due to wear or rust. is Silllllltlll'iQUUSl) absm'lied by a slip downward of the toes of the angle bars on the seats of the abutments and the abutting mil ends are fill contimwusly heid, rehr alinement by "the edgstowzwd the and swim angle bars and Hm m and thorebetween.

I claim:

. The combination in a mi! joint 0'? MW abutting rail ends, of angle bars (lispnsed m1 each side therea'f, 0'? a supporting Mm: 1.21; .4:

provided with confronting abuhneints 01 Ewing fuirced down between said abut-ments,

thvmw in cm'ntuct, of said curved bearing 5min JA /i601 the toes of smd angle ban is of mid abutment-s, are (limin- W, M. PEGRAM.

and Hm a Mwi 

